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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · object · nail · rule · vault · straw · kick · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. object — an aim
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. object — a thing
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. kick — in football
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rule — government
  18. object — to protest
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rule — a law
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com